In this tutorial, you will learn how to use absolute cell references in Google Sheets
How To Use Absolute Cell Reference in Google Sheets
Quick Navigation
A key concept to understand when working with spreadsheets is the importance of absolute cell references. An absolute cell reference means that if you move the cell, the reference will stay the same.
This can be especially useful when you are creating formulas and use the AutoFill tool to copy those formulas.
In this guide, we will show you how to create absolute cell references in Google Sheets.
How To Create an Absolute Cell Reference in Google Sheets
Here’s how to create an absolute cell reference in Google Sheets.
Step 1
Select the cell you want to convert into an absolute cell reference.
In this example, we want to convert the cell reference to B3 into an absolute cell reference since the shipping fee is a constant throughout all orders.
Step 2
We can convert the cell into an absolute reference by adding the ‘$’ symbol before the row letter and column number.
You can also use a keyboard shortcut to automatically convert the current cell reference in focus
Windows users can use the F4 key to convert a reference into an absolute reference. Using the shortcut multiple times will toggle between absolute reference and relative reference.
Step 3
Hit the Enter key to evaluate the function.
Converting any cell reference into an absolute reference will maintain the same result as a non-absolute reference.
Step 4
The formula can now be copied over a column with the absolute cell reference remaining the same value.
In the example above, the shipping fee of $15 is applied consistently throughout the column.
Summary
This guide should be everything you need to create an absolute cell reference in Google Sheets.
You may make a copy of this example spreadsheet to test it out on your own.